1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a downrigger as used in control depth fishing in which a trolling lure is maintained at a particular depth.
2. Prior Art
It is well known that a particular species of fish is to be found in water of a particular temperature, and that commonly water stratifies into layers of different temperatures. Also a particular species of game fish will seek the particular depth of water in which the food of that game fish, commonly a smaller fish, is to be found. Therefore if a lure is trolled at a particular depth it is likely that a particular species of fish will be caught. To maintain the trolling lure at a selected depth, two lines and associated reels are used, namely a control line carrying a heavy weight which is used to control depth and a common trolling line which carries the lure. The trolling line is releasably clipped to the control line and the lure trails behind the clip at a depth determined by the depth of the weight, variations in trolling speed having little effect on the depth of the weight. The weight is maintained at a particular depth dependent on the desired species and conditions that may cause such fish to seek that depth, and when there is a strike the trolling line is released from the control line and the fish is played in the normal manner. It is preferable to wind in the control line when there has been a bite to avoid fouling of the control line with the trolling line.
The control line is commonly wound on a downrigger which requires a depth indicator and a brake means to prevent the line unwinding. Common downriggers have a reel having openings therein, and to prevent the reel unwinding, the reel is first stopped with one hand at a particular location and a releasable peg, restricted against tangential movement, is inserted in an opening in the reel by the other hand. The peg is thus a brake but this has the disadvantage that two hands are required to brake the reel when winding in the weight. Furthermore, if the handle of the reel is accidentally released whilst winding in, the weight drops rapidly and rapidly unwinds the control line. If this happens it is essentially impossible to reinsert the peg unless the reel is stopped first, which can be dangerous, and thus commonly the weight will rapidly unwind until it hits bottom or the line is completely unwound. If a rapidly unwinding reel is stopped suddenly, shock forces may break the line thus loosing the weight and portions of the line. It can be appreciated that, immediately following a strike, the fisherman is occupied by playing the fish on the trolling line, but, to avoid the lines fouling he wants to wind in the control line. Because winding in the control line and operating the peg requires two hands for proper operation, when fishing alone the present method of braking the downrigger reel is clearly unsatisfactory.